The Green Wraith
by Seriadne
Summary: When a shady GJ operation goes wrong, the world is left without a hero. Then, four years later, a new figure emerges. The appearance begs the question: who is the Green Wraith, and why is he or she there? Based on a concept by YogurthFrost of deviantART.
1. Hidden Plot

Hey, y'all! So, this fic is one I've been thinking about writing for a while. The plot actually belongs to YogurthFrost (on deviantART) but he has tagged me to write it. *does happy dance* So, people, I have his permission. Don't go telling him to sue me.

The pic that this based off of is called "The Green Wraith... is...YOU" by YogurthFrost. It's pretty darn incredible, and I'm honored to have been allowed to write about it.

I don't own Kim Possible. YogurthFrost owns the general plot idea; I just added some stuff to make it flow more smoothly.

* * *

Kimberly Ann Possible was still trying to get used to her new sense of freedom. For now, at least, she could wake up without having to worry about whatever homework was due - or in this case, summer work. High school graduation nullified all of that. Until freshman year at Go U started, she was entirely free.

Ronald Stoppable was having the exact opposite issue. He would wake up every morning worrying about what new recipe he would try to memorize. He had been accepted at the Go City Culinary Institute soon after graduation, and he wanted to start out freshman year at the top of his class. Of course, Kim had no idea about this; she thought he loved writing the same recipe over and over again on little index cards, given how much he did it on his free time.

The pair had broken up soon after graduation. It was by mutual consent, so Ron was safe from being shot into deep space, but it changed something between them. Both of them had felt, but didn't say, that kissing the other felt like kissing their sibling. They had just become too much like family for a relationship to work out. However, even though their romance had broken apart, Team Possible stayed tightly tied together - just like they had been for years.

* * *

The day started out like any normal day before it.

"Ki_-im!_"

Kim groaned and rolled over in bed, covering her head with her pillow. The last thing she wanted to do was to get up.

"Kimberly Ann Possible, get out of bed!"

"I'm up, I'm up!" Kim hollered back at her mother, briefly lifting up the pillow so her voice wouldn't be muffled. The deed done, she immediately plopped back down and closed her eyes. She was utterly exhausted. She hadn't slept a wink last night, God knows why, and she felt like she could hibernate.

After about five minutes, Kim heard the clomping of footsteps traipsing up the stairs, and she groaned. Knowing her family, whoever it was had set course to her room.

"Kim! Mom says that she wants-"

"-you out of bed and downstairs before-"

"-your breakfast gets cold!"

Kim growled wordlessly under her breath. She envied Ron for having such an angelic sibling, regardless of the fact that they weren't related by blood.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps picked up again, and a split second later the door to Kim's room was flung open. Twin sets of footsteps thumped against the floor as their owners climbed up into Kim's room and ran over to her bed. One pair of hands yanked the pillow away from her, and the other pair pulled the blanket right off the bed.

"Tweebs!" Kim yelled, sitting bolt upright in bed.

Kim's twin brothers, Jim and Tim, snickered when they saw their sister.

"Hey, Kim," Jim said, hand over his mouth to keep from bursting out into laughter, "I think you might need a hairbrush."

"And some more sleep," laughed Tim, not even trying to stifle his laughter.

Kim scowled. "Funny thing about that, Tim. If you know that someone needs more sleep, then don't go and _make it impossible for them to get it!_" She fell back heavily on the bed and grabbed her Pandaroo, using it to cover her face.

"Wow, what's up with you, sis? Did you-"

"-wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"

"Waking up requires having gone to sleep in the first place," Kim snapped. "Now get out of my room!"

"Get out of bed first," Tim nagged. "Or else-"

"-Mom's gonna come up and get you out herself."

Kim swore under her breath and swung her legs out of bed. "All _right_, I'm up. Happy now?"

"Sure." Jim shrugged. "Oh, by the way, your-"

"-Kimmunicator rang about an hour ago."

"We answered it for you and said that we'd-"

"-have you call back later."

"_What?_" Kim stood up quickly. "Wade called and you didn't get me?"

"It wasn't Wade," the twins said in unison, and then they turned and scrambled down Kim's unorthodox steps.

Kim paused. _It wasn't Wade?_ _Who was it, then? And why didn't they get Wade to patch them through first?_

* * *

Ann heard twin sets of footsteps hurrying down the stairs, and he shook her head. Those boys were going to break their necks doing that.

"Boys, don't run down the stairs," she yelled over her shoulder, not bothering to turn off the spray nozzle attached to the sink. "Did you get your sister up yet?"

"She should be coming-"

"-down in a minute to check-"

"-her Kimmunicator. If she isn't down in-"

"-five minutes, can we split her bacon? Please?"

Ann shook her head firmly and glanced at Kim's Kimmunicator. It had been sitting on the counter all night, charging. "I really wish she would charge that thing in her room more often."

"I do," came her daughter's voice from the hallway, and Kim walked into the kitchen. "Just not last night. Don't you dare touch my breakfast, tweebs," she warned quickly, seeing that her brothers were trying to be sneaky. "Mom, why didn't you get them not to touch my Kimmunicator?"

Ann shrugged. "It's not my gadget to keep up with."

Kim pressed her lips together tightly, but a huge yawn almost immediately spread them again. She shot another warning glare at her brothers and made her way over to the counter.

"Where's Dad?" she inquired through another yawn, pulling the charger out of her Kimmunicator.

Ann shut off the nozzle and let it retract. She gestured vaguely in the air and replied, "Working on the garage."

Kim nodded in understanding. Ever since their home had been destroyed by the Lorwardians before graduation, repairs had been nonstop. Thanks to her father's blueprints, Felix's mother's technology, and their connections at the lab, they were able to rebuild the house itself as an exact replica of what it had been before in just under three weeks. James Possible, however, was altering the garage to serve as more of a home workshop for himself and the twins.

"You know who was calling?" she asked. "Jim and Tim said that it wasn't Wade."

Ann shook her head and began drying off the breakfast dishes in the sink. "I didn't see who it was."

Kim sighed and booted up the small device, pulling up the recent calls list. Even though she still had her wrist communicator, she liked the original version better. It was easier to do stuff on than the tiny screen of the wrist version.

"GJ," she said in surprise. "Now what would they want?"

She selected the 'call' option and leaned against the counter. She only had to wait for about five seconds before animate popped up on the screen of a woman with short brown hair and an eye patch, sitting behind a dark mahogany desk with a small smile on her face.

"Ah, Kimberly. Good morning."

"Morning, Dr. Director," Kim replied, nodding respectfully. "Sorry I didn't catch you earlier."

"It's no problem, Kim," the head of Global Justice assured her. "Are you all right? You look exhausted."

Kim shot a quick glare at her brothers, who grinned innocently in return. "I'm fine. I just couldn't really sleep last night. What's the sitch?"

Dr. Director leaned forward, her smile gone and her fingers interlacing in front of her. "The 'sitch', as you say, is Shego."

Kim blinked and looked around the room at her family. They were all peering at her with confused looks on their faces, and she could tell that they were all thinking the same thing.

_Why Shego?_

"Shego?" the redheaded hero repeated. "I thought she went legit." Then another possibility struck her. "Is she hurt?"

"No, she's fine as far as we can tell."

"So what's going on, then?"

"We've connected her with a string of crimes throughout the States, each more violent than the last. The most recent offense resulted in the hospitalization of Drew Lipsky."

Kim, had she been eating, likely would have choked. "Drakken? She hurt Drakken? I thought they were a thing now."

Betty Director shook her head. "It would seem not. It looks like he'll pull through, but as of now he's still under close watch."

Kim pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "So, Drakken's still legit?"

"Yes."

"So Shego's going this alone. I wonder why?"

Dr. Director shrugged. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that she spurned the second chance we had given her, and at the rate she's going she might end up killing someone."

Kim shook her head. "No. Shego doesn't kill. She told me herself once during our fights that killing was a line she would never cross."

"It sure looks like she was trying to kill Drakken."

"She's a smart woman. She knows when to stop."

Dr. Director sighed quietly. She knew Kim well enough to know that she would not be dissuaded from her opinion. "The fact remains that she's grown more violent than she ever has in the past. We need to capture her."

"And you want Team Possible's help," Kim realized. "Why? Global Justice is a powerful force."

"You know Shego better than anyone else on our side," came the reply. "You know her fighting style and the way her mind works. You're our best hope of catching her once and for all."

Kim thought for a moment. Honestly, she didn't want to capture Shego. After all, she seemed like she had really gone legit after the Lorwardian incident, and Kim found it somewhat hard to believe that she had actually hospitalized Drakken. Even so, if it needed to be done then she would do it.

"Okay, I'm on it," she said after a minute or so. "Lemme just call Ron-"

"We've already contacted Mr. Stoppable," Dr. Director interrupted. "He said he would be over to your house shortly. We sent a GJ jet over to pick the two of you up from there. It should be arriving in a few minutes."

Kim's eyes widened. "Shoot. Gotta go, Dr. Director! Sorry!"

"So can we have-"

"-your breakfast?"

"No!" Kim cut the transmission and stuffed the device in her pajama pocket. She snatched a few strip of bacon from the lone plate on the kitchen table and stuffed them in her mouth, turning and sprinting out of the room. "Mom, ill oo le Roh im en ee ometh?"

"Yes, dear," Ann said calmly. "I'll let Ron in."

The twins exchanged looks. "How can you-"

"-even understand her?"

"I have three children," their mother replied. "I'm fluent in gibberish."

* * *

Kim scrambled up to her room like she was being chased by a rabid bear, muttering to herself all the way. Of all the days she had to get out of bed feeling like a zombie, it had to be today?

"Damn," she swore when she heard the doorbell. She tossed the Kimmunicator on her bed and practically tore her pajamas off, grabbing her mission clothes from where they were draped over the back of her computer chair.

"Yo, KP!" Ron called up. "You 'bout ready? GJ's heading over!"

"I know, Ron!" Kim yelled back, hopping around the room with one leg in her pants. "Gimme a bit!" To herself she muttered, "Of course. Of...freaking...course."

She slipped on her bra and shirt and snatched up her Kimmunicator, slipping it into her leg pouch. Then, just as she was struggling to get her socks and shoes on, she heard the increasingly loud roar that was her GJ ride.

"Oh, come _on!_" she shouted at no one in particular, grabbing a hairbrush from her dresser and swiping it through her hair a few times until it looked more like hair than a malnourished squirrel. Tossing it carelessly over her shoulder, she practically leaped down her steps and then down the main staircase.

Ron stepped out of the redhead's way as she came barreling down the steps. "Whoa there, Killer."

"Sorry. No time to talk, we're running late." Kim grabbed Ron's hand and yanked him out through the open front door. "Bye, Mom! I'll be back for dinner at the latest!"

"Bye, honey," Ann called, turning back to her daughter's still unfinished breakfast and the twin boys hovering over it.

"Please?" Jim said sweetly, a somewhat familiar look creeping over his face.

Ann smiled. "You know, Kim's always going to be the best at the Puppy Dog Pout." She paused and sighed good-naturedly. "Fine."

* * *

"You okay, KP?" Ron inquired.

Kim opened her eyes tiredly, not bothering to lift her head from where it was leaning against the inside wall of the jet. "Didn't get any sleep."

"Ah." The blond boy nodded apologetically. "Been there, done that. It sucks."

"_Merci_, Captain Obvious," Kim groaned. She closed her eyes again, listening to the steady thrumming of the jet's turbines. It almost lulled her into a state of unconsciousness. Almost.

"Hello, Miss Possible. Mr. Stoppable."

Kim opened her eyes again and sat bolt upright when she heard this new voice. "Agent Du. Um...aren't you supposed to be flying the plane?"

Agent Will Du came and sat down in the seat in front of Ron and Kim, placing his elbows on the small table between the two rows of seats and leaning forward slightly. "Autopilot. Right now, the jet's flying straight and level. I don't need to do anything until I take her down."

"So where is she?" Kim asked.

"She's in one of her houses. It's about twenty miles outside of Middleton."

"So we'll be there pretty soon," Kim assumed.

Agent Du shook his head. "We have to slow down and quiet our engines so we don't alert Shego to our approach. We should be there soon, but not as quickly as we normally would be."

"So still soon," Kim clarified. "What's the plan?"

Will reached into his pocket and pulled out a small earpiece, handing it to Kim. "Here, put this in. When you press the little red button, it activates. We'll be able to hear each other both ways until you deactivate it." He paused briefly. "Just one rule. Do _not_ activate the radio before Shego notices that you are there. We need to keep radio silence so she is unaware of our presence until the very last second."

"Radio silence. Got it." Kim fitted the little device to her ear.

"Don't I get one too?" Ron asked in a tone that bordered on whining.

"You won't be going in with Kim," Will said somewhat sharply. "We can't risk any screw-ups on this mission."

Ron scowled. "The mystical monkey master does not screw up. Right, Kim?"

"Uh, yeah. Right, Ron." Kim averted her gaze, feeling a blush creep up over her cheeks.

"You'll be staying back on the jet," Will continued. "We need someone to monitor Kim's radio activity once she activates it so, in case she gets hurt, we can get her out of there."

Ron sat back in his chair grouchily. "I do not screw up."

Kim bit her lip, wisely choosing to ignore her friend for the time being. "Anything else I should know?"

Will shook his head. "Not really. Just get in, incapacitate Shego, and then get out of there as fast as possible so we can come in and pick her up. Remember, turn on the earpiece as soon as she finds out you're there." Kim nodded, and the GJ agent rose from his chair. "We should reach the drop zone in about ten minutes."

"Drop zone?" the redhead echoed. "You're not landing?"

Another shake of the head. "Not until we need to pick you back up. Our engine gets ten times louder whenever I put down the landing gears, so it's better if you just jump. We'll circle around until you call for us."

Kim shrugged. "Okay. Sounds good."

Will turned around and retreated back into the cockpit, taking a headset from a hook on the wall and fitting it to his head tightly. Kim heard the telltale _click_ of the door locking behind the agent.

Ron let out an over-exaggerated yawn. "Okay, so we have about ten minutes to ourselves for relaxation. _Oh wait_, I forgot. _You _have about ten minutes to yourself for relaxation. I have all the time in the freaking world because Mr. Know-It-All-Golden-Boy in there doesn't believe in my abilities!"

"Chill out, Ron," Kim said firmly. "Griping about it won't change anything."

"Whatever," he said, suddenly resigned. "I'm gonna go get a soda. You want one?"

"Please and thank you. Sprite, if they have it." Kim yawned and closed her eyes again.

Ron stood up and looked around, and a confused look came over his face. "Kim?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't prisoner transport jets usually have a fridge full of stuff for the agents guarding the prisoner?"

"All of them do," Kim said wearily. "That's why I didn't think you were insane when you got up to 'go get a soda' thousands of feet in the air."

"This one doesn't."

This struck Kim as rather odd, and she reluctantly opened her eyes. For the first time, she looked around the jet and actually registered her surroundings. The only part of the jet that could have passed for a transport jet was the little section with the chairs and table. The walls of the rest of it were lined with racks of electronics and, in some places, weapons.

"I don't think this is a prisoner transport jet," she said slowly, standing up.

"Then what is it?"

Kim didn't reply for a moment, walking around and inspecting the hardware hooked on the walls of the jet. There were gas masks, extra communicators, earpieces, rifles, stun guns, and - Kim had to do a double-take on this one - grenades.

"I think it's an attack jet," she replied after consideration. "That's strange, though...I thought GJ only used these when they wanted to blow things up."

"Maybe all of the prisoner transport planes broke down," Ron suggested.

Kim snorted. "Sure. That's likely." She walked over to the cockpit door and jiggled the handle, but it didn't budge. "I think something's up, Ron."

"Why does it matter what kind of plane this is?" Ron asked casually, sitting back down heavily in his chair. "If anything, this jet will get us there in half the_-_Kim, what are you doing?"

"I'm gonna ask what's going on," Kim replied, her finger hovering over the red button on her earpiece.

"They said radio silence, though!"

"We're ten minutes away from Shego's house, and we're in a jet," Kim said testily. "Not even she has equipment to pick up on something from as far away as we are."

She pressed the button and opened her mouth, but the words died in her throat when she heard that there was already an active conversation going on.

_I'll just let them finish before I jump in, _she decided.

"You have an ETA, Agent Du?" a familiar voice crackled over the radio. Betty Director.

"Miss Possible is dropping down in about eight minutes, give or take."

"Give or take what, Will? We can't afford to time this wrong. One wrong calculation, and Kimberly is dead."

Kim caught her breath. _What are they talking about?_

"I won't calculate this wrong," Du said firmly. "She knows what to do, and she knows to get out of the house as soon as Shego is incapacitated. She won't be caught in the path of it."

"For her sake I hope you're right, Agent Du. She'll be mad enough once we drop the bomb on Shego. That's bad enough without Kim being killed by it, too."

Kim blinked rapidly, suddenly feeling dizzy, and she walked over and sat down across from Ron.

"I won't mess this up, Director."

"Good, because if you do then there will be hell to pay. Shego needs to be eliminated as soon as possible, but Kim...Kim is an idol to the world. She dies, and there will be too many questions."

Kim numbly pressed the red button again, not wanting to hear any more. She leaned back and stared at the headrest of the seat next to Ron, fingers gripping her armrests so hard her knuckles were white.

Ron noticed his friend's pallor and tense movements, and he inquired, "You okay, Kim?"

Kim shook her head slowly.

"What's wrong?"

Kim pointed to her earpiece, trying to find her voice. Of course, a voice is useless if you don't know the right words to say with it.

"The radio? What did you hear?" Ron leaned forward in concern. "What's going on?"

Kim opened her mouth and closed it several times before she finally said weakly, "They're not planning to capture Shego."

"So what are they planning to do?" he inquired.

Kim took a deep, steadying breath and forced herself to look Ron in the eye.

"They're going to kill her," she whispered.

* * *

Hahaha! I enjoy cliffhangers WAYYY too much, don't I? Of course, this is how the story has to start out if anything after this chapter is going to make sense. I have three pages of plot written out...hopefully this won't take me a year to write like some of my other stuff outside of FF. _Merci bien _for reading, and _gracias _to Yogurthfrost for letting me use his brilliant idea!


	2. Definition of Mortal Enemies

Hey! I would have updated this a couple days ago, but I also have another story in progress (_yes_, another Kim Possible story) that I'm hoping to get up soon. Hope you like this chapter. Please R&R!

I don't own Kim Possible. The general plot belongs to YogurthFrost (on dA) but he has given me permission to write this story. (I know I've already said this; I just really, really, _really_ don't want to get sued by anyone.)

* * *

For the tenth time in the past two minutes, Kim barely stopped herself from pushing the red button on her earpiece. She wanted nothing more than to connect to the radio and ask Dr. Director just why the hell she was authorizing a mission for murder.

_Shego needs to be eliminated as soon as possible, but Kim...Kim is an idol to the world. She dies, and there'll be too many questions._

The young hero couldn't stop the conversation from circulating in her head. Her emotions and opinions were at war with themselves. She knew that Shego was a dangerous and potentially lethal criminal, and that GJ was probably right to want to take action. But _killing _her? That just seemed a little extreme. Of course, only one person in the world would ever stand a chance against Shego, so that warranted immediate action in a sense. But, then again, that person was Kim herself, and she had beaten Shego when she was a high school freshman...

Kim shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She needed to focus at the task at hand.

_Okay, Kim. Let's analyze this. She didn't seem so aggressive the last time we met, but given her recent activities there's no telling how she'll react when she sees me here. I have to act with caution. One wrong move, and I could be killed. But Shego said she didn't kill people...then again, she almost killed Drakken... I wonder what was going through her mind when she did that...focus on the _facts, _Possible!_

Through the trees ahead of her, Kim saw a building. It was relatively small (well, using Shego's expensive tastes for comparison) and didn't look much like a building that belonged in the middle of the forest. It looked to be a mix of stucco and wood, like some sort of single-story villa. From her vantage point, Kim figured the villa to be a couple thousand square feet, not counting the fenced-in pool and deck she could see peeking around the corner of the structure.

_A pool in the middle of nowhere,_ Kim thought to herself in amusement. _So typically Shego._

The redhead broke into a run, her feet barely making a sound as they lightly touched the soft forest ground. That's the one thing she liked about wet leaf litter; it muffled footfalls like no other terrain. Snow and dry leaves crunched under her feet, and sand was impossible to really run in. Wet leaves, though, were perfect - as long as she made sure not to slip.

She slowed down significantly as she approached the building, looking around her constantly and trying to pick out any hidden cameras or traps that Shego might have set beforehand. She didn't see any, but Shego was a highly experienced criminal. They were surely there..._some_where.

Kim sidled up to the corner of the villa and the fence of the pool and peeked around, half-expecting to see the green villainess sunning herself on a towel laid out on the pool deck. She didn't know if she was dreading or looking forward to seeing her like that. She'd seen Shego in a bathing suit before, but that was a one piece at a spa out-of-country. It didn't leave much to the imagination, but she wondered what Shego would look like in a bikini that left even littler to the imagination...

Kim smacked her own forehead before her brain fully registered what she had done, the sharp sound of skin on skin echoing for a brief moment against the villa and the adjacent trees. What was she doing? She wasn't too sure anymore, not after hearing that conversation between Will Du and Dr. Director, but it sure as hell didn't involve fantasizing about her enemy. And what was she currently _thinking_ about? Her enemy in a little bikini. God, she had some serious prioritizing to do.

Even so, all this made her question if she really wanted to let GJ murder Shego. Well, 'want'...'want' wasn't the right word. Of course she didn't want to assist in a killing, even if the target was Shego. It was her obligation to the safety of the world that was the issue. If Shego was really becoming as big a threat as she seemed, then the safest option _was_ to take her out of commission. The same principle applied if a villain like Monkey Fist or Killigan became as dangerous as she, but Kim didn't feel the same level of aversion to the concept of taking one of _them_ down.

Then Kim began to entertain another notion. What if it wasn't the thought of killing of just _any _dangerous criminal that affected her like that...but just killing Shego? Sure, it seemed unethical to think like that - it _was _unethical - but she just couldn't bring herself to help GJ kill Shego.

_I can't help kill _anybody _at all,_ Kim thought sternly, trying to convince herself. _It's not just Shego. There is nothing special about her._

She couldn't quite pull it off.

She suddenly realized that she had been crouching out in plain sight for the past three minutes while she was at war with herself. Shaking her head to try and regain focus, she gripped the iron bars of the fence and pulled herself up and over, grunting slightly with the effort of the action. She landed on the ground nimbly with a slight thump as her sneakers hit the concrete of the deck, and then she took off for the French doors leading to the interior of the villa. The little awning over the doors provided some cover from overhead cameras, but she knew she couldn't stay there for long. She had to keep moving. She reached into her leg pouch for her lock-melting comb (which Wade had so kindly re-issued to her a month before), but as soon as her fingers brushed the small case she saw that the door was already open about four inches.

Immediately, Kim was on high alert. An open door could either mean that it was a trap, or someone had gotten there ahead of her. She didn't really like either option. Cautiously, she peeked around the edge of the wall into the villa, and right then some of her fear dissipated. The room - which looked to be the living room - had about fifteen fans going full blast. There were plug-in fans, little battery-powered fans that were placed in random places around the room, and the ceiling fan. In the middle of it all, lying lengthwise on a black leather couch and wearing only a green tank top and black shorts, was Shego. An iPod was clutched in her left hand, which was resting on her stomach, and twin cords trailed from the headphone jack to her ears. She looked to be sleeping.

_So maybe her door is open to let in some of the cool air, _Kim mused. _Maybe her air conditioning went out._

_You don't say? _the other part of her mind snarked.

Kim was about to open her mouth to make a snappy retort when she realized what she was about to do.

"God, I'm going crazy," she breathed to herself, her voice barely audible.

Shego made a little sound in her sleep and rolled over onto her side, and Kim froze, shrinking back so only her eyes showed around the wall. She stayed there, waiting with bated breath, until she was sure that Shego wasn't going to wake up. Then she reached forward and inched the glass door open slowly until there was just enough room for her to slip in.

As soon as her foot touched the hardwood flooring inside, the villainess said lazily, "'Sup, Princess."

Kim's body instinctively snapped into a defensive pose, but Shego hadn't moved from the couch. She hadn't even opened her eyes. Briefly, Kim wondered if she had imagined it.

"You gonna speak?"

Maybe not.

Kim straightened her posture, but kept her hands raised just above the point that one would consider 'normal'. "Shego."

"So, to what do I owe the displeasure of this visit?" Shego yanked the earbuds out of her ears and sat up, opening her eyes. She regarded Kim casually, tossing the music player onto her coffee table.

Kim reached up and acted like she was scratching her ear, but in reality it was a front so her finger could brush the little red button on her earpiece. "What are you wearing?"

An annoyed look passed over the criminal's face. "Have you not noticed the heat in this place? My air conditioning went out yesterday."

"Kind of hard to tell with all the fans going," Kim responded, and then she let out an awkward little cough. "Did you really send Drakken to the hospital?"

Shego held out her hand in front of her nonchalantly and picked at her nails. "If GJ wants me, tell them to take me. I wish them good luck." She let out a short bark of mirth. "But sending you in to do their dirty work is a little low, even for them."

_You have no idea, _Kim thought. "How did you..."

"I didn't." Shego grinned. "I saw you turn on that little thingy in your ear and I figured that it had to either be Nerdlinger or GJ. You need to learn to recognize bluffs."

A light blush rushed up to Kim's cheeks, and she chose not to comment. "So, did you _really_ hospitalize Drakken?"

"You already asked that."

"You didn't answer."

"Because you already know what I'm going to say."

Kim's blush darkened. Of course Shego had to go and beat her in a verbal battle while GJ was listening in. It was just like her. "I guess I just...didn't want to believe it."

Shego stood up, her grin completely gone. "What's that supposed to mean, Kimmie?"

Kim stood her ground as the villainess began to stalk up to her. "You told me once that murder was a line you'd never cross. You came so close to killing Drakken...I wasn't sure. I didn't want to believe it. Why did you do it?"

"Well, that's not really your concern, now, is it?" Shego asked in a low voice, a voice that scared Kim more than her common snarls and shouts. "Do you think I'm going soft? You think I _couldn't _kill someone if I really wanted to? I could kill you right here, right now if I tried."

"...Do you want to?" Kim ventured cautiously.

Shego scowled. "You can't honestly be that stupid. Why would I want to kill the only person who has ever offered me a challenge? You're the only one in the world who can keep with me. Being the best has its perks, but it gets lonely at the top. Everything is so simple once you get enough experience. I need someone to keep me on my toes."

"Glad to be of help," Kim retorted. "But if I'm so much of a challenge, then why are you so confident about being able to kill me?"

"Because I'm me, and you're you. That's the only reason I can give."

Kim smirked, a totally uncharacteristic air of confidence overtaking her. "I bet I could beat you before you manage to kill me."

Shego snorted. "Really wanna bet on that, Princess?"

Then, in one sudden fluid motion, the green woman lunged for the redhead. Caught off guard, Kim leaped into the air over Shego, her shoes brushing the topmost hairs on the criminal's head. She landed unsteadily, arms out to regain her balance, but as soon as Shego whirled back around to face her she was ready. A smile, a rare smile that only appeared when she was fighting someone who was a match for herself, crept across her rosy lips. Shego's ebon lips curled into an almost matching smirk before she lunged again.

This time, there was no break for smiling. It was like the two of them were dancing onstage in front of hundreds of people; they couldn't stop until it was done, until one of them either finished the other off or collapsed from exhaustion. It was rare that either of them landed a hit on the other, and when they did the blow was only fleeting.

Shego lashed out at Kim's chest viciously. Kim performed a very Matrix-esque move, leaning backwards to the point where her hair was brushing the ground, and as soon as Shego drew her hand back to try again she leaped back up and landed a hard kick to the criminal's abdomen. The woman staggered back, one hand pressed over the point of impact, but she was grinning.

"Nice kick, Pumpkin," she allowed, rushing right back into the game without her words so much as breaking. She could've been talking on her cell phone from the way she sounded.

"Haven't landed one like that on you for a while," Kim responded smugly, simultaneously back flipping to avoid Shego's now-glowing hands. When had she lit up? Kim wasn't sure. It didn't really matter, though; she needed to avoid Shego's hands at all costs either way.

"Don't get cocky." Shego dodged Kim's retaliation with equal agility. Kim couldn't help but admire the way this woman fought, the way they traded playful banter like they were vacationing at the beach instead of in the middle of a vicious fight. Shego was the only person in the world who could match her skills, and she reveled in the challenge.

Then she realized that, once this mission was complete, there would be no more of that.

This sudden revelation almost caused Kim to falter in her fluid movements. Shego noticed this faint hiccup in her opponent's fighting and took the opportunity to tease, "Whatcha thinking about there, Kimmie? It's got you off your A-game."

"You have no idea," Kim muttered.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

Kim threw a couple of punches, but now she was totally distracted. Shego relaxed her aggressive stance and caught the hero's punches almost lazily.

"What's your problem, Kim?" she demanded. Not Kimmie, or Pumpkin, or Princess, or Cupcake. Kim. "I don't want to fight off the clock unless you give it your all, and you're sure as hell not doing that."

Kim also relaxed her stance, refusing to meet the woman's gaze. "Sorry I'm not satisfying you."

Shego grasped the redhead's shoulders firmly and shook her. "Get in it, Possible! Forget about whatever's bugging you so I can win this damn fight-"

"It's not something I can just forget about, Shego!" Kim snapped, cutting across her opponent's words. "It's not the kind of thing that can be undone if I screw up."

Shego placed a firm hand under Kim's chin and roughly forced her to meet her eyes. "Then don't screw up. You're not acting like the person I've been fighting for four years, and I don't like it. Get whatever this is off your chest, and then we can finish our fight and I can escape before GJ comes within five hundred feet of this building."

"Shego, if we finish this fight and I incapacitate you, you won't be able to escape!" Kim shouted, an unexpected tear slipping down her cheek. Shego noticed this and released her, staring into her eyes quizzically.

"Explain," she said shortly.

Kim took a breath. "GJ...they didn't tell me, I swear. They didn't want me to know. I just overheard..."

"Overheard _what?_"

"They don't want to try and capture you. As soon as I'm clear, they..." Kim swallowed. She didn't want to disobey orders, but she just couldn't do this. She had made her decision. "They're going to drop a bomb and kill you."

Shego blinked, trying to work her mind around what Kim had just told her. GJ was going to try to _kill_ her?

"Nice try, Kimmie," she said after a moment. "But I don't believe you."

"Shego, you have to get out of here now," Kim protested. "I swear I'm telling the truth."

"Suuuure you are," Shego drawled. "And I'm in love with Monkey Fist. Why would you be telling me this if you're on the side that wants me dead?"

"But I don't want you dead! Sure, maybe I fought with myself over it for a little while, but I can't help kill anybody. I just can't."

"Still don't believe you," Shego sang. "If GJ didn't know that you knew about this alleged plan to murder me, then why did you warn me about it when they can hear every word you say?"

"Shit!" Kim exclaimed before she could stop herself. She had completely forgotten about that. She reached up and yanked the little device out of her ear and pressed the red button again, dropping it and then crushing it with her foot.

Shego watched this with awe. "Didn't happen to get that mouth of yours from spending time around me, did you?"

Kim shook her head. "Be serious, Shego. I am not lying. I really don't want to see you dead. You need to get out of here now. Just go and hide where nobody can find you."

Shego pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Why do you care so much?"

Kim's blush returned. "I told you, I just can't assist in a murder. Please, Shego...please believe me."

Shego thought for a moment. "Let's say for a moment that I do believe you."

"Yeah, that's the right track..." Kim prompted, gesturing toward the door emphatically.

"What would GJ do now that their secret mission is compromised?"

Kim cast her gaze down at the crushed earpiece next to her foot. "I don't know. I don't really feel like I know what goes on in GJ anymore."

"Because they didn't tell you about this alleged plot," Shego elaborated.

"It's not alleged! I swear this is serious! Shego, your life is on the line _right now!_"

Shego folded her arms over her chest. "Pumpkin, you've been my arch foe for four years now. Give me one reason why I should trust you on this."

Kim opened her mouth and closed it several times without saying anything. The truth was, she didn't have a good reason. She was sure that, somewhere deep in her mind, there was a perfectly plausible explanation, but right now she was drawing a blank.

"I'm waiting," Shego said impatiently. "If you're not gonna say anything, then get out."

Kim shook her head slowly. "I can't...I mean, I don't have a good reason right now. Yeah, we've been mortal enemies for years, but that doesn't mean I want you to die."

"You sure you know the definition of 'mortal enemies', Princess?" Shego inquired.

"Please, Shego. I'll prove it later, if you believe me and we get out of here. I don't know how I'll prove it, but I will, I promise."

At that moment, both women heard a faint sound from outside. They both looked up, though they knew that it wouldn't do any good given that all they were staring at was the ceiling. The noise grew steadily louder until it was almost deafening.

"GJ plane," Kim said nervously. "They must be coming to get you themselves."

Then they heard a faint whistling noise as the jet passed overhead, increasing in volume with each passing second...

* * *

Ron was, in his own words, pretty damn pissed.

There he was, sitting in a GJ jet with absolutely nothing to do. Will Du had said he would get to monitor radio transmissions, but he had changed his mind. Apparently he didn't trust the mystical monkey master to listen to his best friend over the radio.

"Wish you were here today, buddy," he said to thin air, as if Rufus himself could hear his words. GJ had requested that he leave the naked mole rat at home. "This is the most boring mission ever."

He yawned and stood up, walking over to the locked door of the cockpit. He rapped on it firmly with the knuckles of his index and middle fingers. "Yo, Will! We going down soon?"

Inside the cockpit, Will massaged his temples. "We haven't gotten radio contact yet, Mr. Stoppable. I'll let you know when I'm bringing the jet down. Please stop asking me." _Every ten seconds,_ he added mentally. There was already a lot of pressure riding on him from Dr. Director on this mission. One slip-up, and Kim Possible was dead. He didn't want that to happen.

The radio began to crackle in his ear, and a moment later Kim's voice filtered through. "...you wearing?"

Will leaned forward slightly in his chair and wrapped his fingers around the airplane control in anticipation. "Miss Possible. Cough if you can hear me right now."

Kim said something that was slightly garbled - something about fans, maybe? - and then she coughed. "Did you really send Drakken to the hospital?"

Will smiled to himself. Everything was going according to plan. He opened up the channel to allow Dr. Director access. " Dr. Director, can you hear her?"

"Affirmative, Agent Du. Prepare to take her down on Kim's order."

"Yes, ma'am." Will leaned back again in the pilot's chair and listened to the conversation going on between Kim and Shego. The criminal's voice was fainter than Kim's and more garbled at times, but it was intelligible for the most part. An involuntary smirk crossed his face as he listened to the banter that the two women exchanged. It was almost... friendly. His grip on the airplane controls automatically tightened when he heard the sounds of fighting, but he relaxed slightly when he realized that Kim was holding her own and then some.

"Whatcha thinking about there, Kimmie? It's got you off your A-game."

"You have no idea."

Will raised an eyebrow as he listened. Their voices, Kim's in particular, seemed suddenly tense. He didn't like the turn their conversation was taking. It was almost as if...

"GJ...they didn't tell me, I swear. They didn't want me to know. I just overheard..."

The color drained from Will's face. _Bad. Bad, bad, bad. Please let her be talking about something else._

"They're going to drop a bomb and kill you."

_Dammit._ Will massaged his forehead, afraid to speak to Dr. Director in case Kim overheard. _And just when everything was going so well, too...why the hell did she warn Shego?_

The agent exhaled a sigh of relief when the villainess expressed her doubt. Maybe, just maybe, they could still pull this off. But there was still the issue of Kim's knowledge of the intended act...

Kim uttered a loud swear word, jerking Will out of his thoughts. A moment later all sound from Kim's end was replaced with static, the sound sharp and loud in Will's ear before it faded out slowly.

"The hell just happened?" he hissed, risking speech to make his thoughts known to Dr. Director.

The woman's voice was grim. "How did she find out?"

"She must have disobeyed my order for radio silence," he said tensely. "Either that, or we have a leak in GJ."

"Doubtful." Dr. Director paused for a second before speaking again. "Agent Du, this can't get out. If it does, GJ is finished. We all lose our jobs and get discredited. This could potentially be a huge scandal, maybe even worldwide news."

"She's a criminal! How can it be a scandal to kill a criminal?"

"That's not the bad part. The bad part is that Miss Possible is caught in the middle of it, and we lied to her. We can't risk her revealing this."

"What are you asking me to do?"

"Not asking. Ordering. This is the only way."

Suddenly, Will realized what she was implying. "No, Director. I can't do that. Kim...she's-"

"She's a liability to us, Agent Du. I don't like it either, but there's no other way. Drop it."

Will opened and closed his mouth several times before stuttering, "But this is murder!"

"Agent Du." Dr. Director's voice was cold and firm. "That is an order. Drop it now or your future at Global Justice will cease to exist, and I will arrest you myself for purposefully hindering a federal operation."

Will Du reluctantly turned the jet around slowly, leaning to one side in his seat as he turned. "Yes, ma'am."

As he approached the villa yet again, he debated disobeying orders. After all, Kim had done the exact same thing to him. If an eighteen year-old could do it so brazenly, why couldn't he?

He sighed. Because he was a coward when it came to things like this, that's why.

His right hand moved to the weapons control panel hesitantly and hovered over the bomb drop button. This particular GJ jet was relatively compact, so it was only armed with one bomb, but it packed a punch - maybe not as much as the military's A-bombs, but still a lot. If this bomb hit, it would be extremely hard for anyone nearby to survive. Of course, if he had to choose the two people most likely to find a way to live through it, they would be Kim and Shego.

His fingers twitched on the button as he approached the villa at five thousand feet. He was nearing the point of no return; if he waited too long, the bomb would miss his target, and he didn't know if he had enough time for another pass. If he was going to do this, it had to be now.

Will took a breath to steel himself, uttered a quick prayer under his breath, and jabbed the button before he could change his mind again.

* * *

Ron didn't feel the slight vibration that ran through the plane as the little doors on the belly opened. He didn't hear the quiet _snick _of the metal clamps as they released the single bomb that they held within their grasp. He didn't see the grim look on his pilot's face as, behind closed doors, he pressed that fatal button.

He did, however, see the explosion on the ground that shook the plane even at its high altitude.

Ron bolted to his feet, leaving his face pressed against the window for a split second more before he turned and sprinted to the locked cockpit door, slamming his fist against it as hard as he could.

"Du!" he shouted through the door desperately. "Du, what the hell just happened down there?"

"I don't know!" came the reply, sounding equally distressed. "Maybe Shego lit up next to something flammable or something."

"We have to go down! Kim was still in there!"

"We can't go down if there was an explosion. Wreckage could be unstable, and we don't know if any toxic gases were released down there."

"Which is why we need to go down _now_!" Ron cried, tears welling up in his eyes. The mere thought that his best friend was down there, having been in the middle of the explosion, was nigh on unbearable. If she died, he didn't know what he would do.

"Mr. Stoppable, I want to go down too, but it's just not safe for us. We can't risk losing anyone else."

"No!" Ron's fist slammed against the door again, harder this time. "You're talking like Kim's dead. She's not dead! _She's not dead!"_

"We have no way of knowing that, Ron," Du said. Not Mr. Stoppable - Ron. The blonde noticed this; the agent's tone had changed, like he was trying to console him. Like he _knew_.

"Kim isn't dead," he said miserably. "I would feel it if she was dead. She's my best friend."

Will hesitated. The guilt was eating him from the inside out, threatening to engulf and overwhelm him. _Me. I did this. This is all my fault. I screwed up...and now Kim is probably dead._

He swallowed the bile rising in his throat and said slowly, "I can take you down with me when more agents get here to inspect the wreckage. That way you can be the first to know if she...if she's okay. That's the best I can do."

After a short pause, he heard a short, "Fine," from the other side of the door, followed by heavy footsteps walking away toward the chair (or so he presumed). The agent bit his lip and asked quietly, "Dr. Director, are they on their way?"

"Affirmative. They should arrive at the villa in twenty minutes or so. They took the hypersonic jets."

_What villa?_ Will thought bitterly. "Copy. I'll keep circling and wait for them."

"Fine. And...Will?"

Will noticed the odd tone in his superior's voice. She sounded almost...sad. "Director?"

"You did the right thing today. Even if it doesn't seem like it, you did."

Will yanked out his earpiece and tossed it on the dashboard of the jet, locking his eyes on the expanse of blue sky before him. It seemed too bright of a setting for a day like today.

"No, I didn't," he whispered to himself, listening to the faint sounds of crying from the back of the plane. "No, I didn't."

* * *

Ron indeed was the first one to reach the wreckage, clad in a radioactive protection suit - because after all, if Shego had been killed in the explosion, there was no telling what her body had released into the air. As soon as he laid eyes on the blackened and still-smoldering ruins of the villa, the breath seemed to leave his body.

"Kim," he whispered.

Then he was off, forging a path through the wreckage. The charred timbers of what used to be the roof supports creaked over his head, threatening to collapse on top of him, but he didn't care. He paid no heed to the shouted warnings of the agents behind him, instead continuing on. Every footstep threw up gray pieces of ash, some still smoldering, that floated behind him on the breeze. All he cared about was finding Kim. Some part of his brain knew that the chances of either her or Shego surviving were slim, but he was repressing the thought. He didn't want to believe that Kim was dead until he saw hard evidence. He didn't want to lose hope in his best friend, the Girl Who Could Do Anything - including survive an explosion. Or so he hoped.

A flash of something caught his eye, something that stood out in contrast with the black and gray shades of the rubble that was formerly Shego's villa. He stopped dead and blinked hopefully, turning to the side. His eyes scanned the ground until he saw it again; something that, though coated with ash, was not a piece of wreckage. It was skin-colored.

Ron approached the object slowly, half-excited and half-scared out of his wits. He didn't know what it was, or even if it had anything to do with Kim. As he neared, though, his near-happiness drained entirely from his body. The object in question was an arm, a left arm, burnt and torn almost beyond recognition, with only small patches of skin having survived the explosion. Whoever it was connected to was buried underneath the rubble.

The blonde boy swallowed a huge lump in his throat as he leaned down to brush the wreckage aside. He was still holding out hope that the arm didn't belong to Kim, and if it did that she was merely unconscious under all of the rubble. As soon as he dug through the first layer of ash and burnt timbers, he recoiled with a choked cry like he had been shot.

The arm wasn't connected to Kim, like he had hoped. It wasn't connected to _anything_. It merely ended in a bloody stump just above the crook of the elbow.

_Please, God, don't let this be Kim's,_ Ron prayed, trying to swallow the feeling of revulsion and fear that threatened to engulf him. _I'll do anything...just please let Kim be all right..._

Then his gaze was drawn to what used to be the fingers of the hand. On the tips of the charred digits he could just make out the torn nails and, though coated with ash, the traces of light pink nail polish that had once covered them.

The exact same color that Kim had been wearing that very morning.

Ron's legs buckled under him, and he fell to his knees. A huge cloud of displaced ash rose up to surround him, blocking his vision through the visor of the radioactive protection suit, but he didn't care. He didn't want to see. His chest constricted more every time he drew breath, and a lump formed in his throat that he couldn't seem to force down again.

"Kim," he whispered, tears finally spilling over and streaming down his cheeks. "Kim!"

When the GJ agents caught up, they stopped dead. They couldn't see the young man himself, just his silhouette through a great cloud of ash and smoke. They could hear him, however - his choked, wailing cries and desperate pleas that cut all of them to the bone. They knew exactly what the origin of the explosion was, and all of them had been hoping that, somehow, Kim had escaped the explosion. Ron's anguished sobbing, though, wordlessly spoke the truth that each of them had been dreading.

Kim Possible was gone.

* * *

*gasp* How can I possibly continue the story after such a horrific event? *looks at storyline* Oh, yeah.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Mon Dieu

Hey! Sorry it took me so long to update this; an NCIS plot bunny bit me and I am in the process of getting it out of my system. I may even post it...who knows? 3NCIS3

I don't own Kim Possible.

* * *

_Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap._

The footsteps sounded less like footsteps and more like subtle taps of one's finger on hardwood. They were so light, so quick, that only someone who was listening hard could hear them, even in the dead of night.

_Taptaptaptap...taptaptaptap._

For a split second, a dark figure was visible as it leaped over a gap between two buildings, silhouetted against the full moon. Then, just as suddenly, it disappeared into the blackness of the night, and the faint footsteps resumed. From roof to roof the figure leapt, barely making a sound as it sprinted along. It had been like that for years now - always running, stealing what was needed to survive, never being able to let your guard down.

The figure, barely more than a shadow to any potential onlookers, stopped dead at the edge of the roof of an apartment building. It adjusted its grip on the small tote bag it held and leaped down, landing with a soft metallic thud on the fire escape nearly seven feet below. The window there was already open, as was expected. It hadn't been closed at all that night. Quiet as a whisper - maybe quieter still - the dark figure slipped inside and closed the window as stealthily as possible. Only when the latch had snapped into place did the person finally relax, allowing the sound of heavy breaths to fill the small apartment space. The tote bag fell to the floor, all but forgotten, followed by the tar-black hoodie that had allowed its wearer to blend into the shadows. Long, light brown hair spilled down over the person's shoulders, finally free from the constraints of the hood.

"Mon dieu," came the hushed voice, "où êtes-vous quand je vous veux?"

_My God, where are you when I want you?_

French was not the person's native language, and religion wasn't normally a priority, but a sense of paranoia had developed over the past four years. One never knows who is listening, right? Steps must be taken to mislead hostiles, right? You can never let your guard down, right?

The bathroom light flicked on and the door closed, leaving the tote bag and hoodie forgotten on the floor. Inside the tiny room, more clothes dropped limply to the floor. Dark blue jeans. A green and blue plaid shirt. A black lace bra. Underwear.

The woman stared at her now naked body in the mirror. She didn't look anything like herself anymore. She had gone through so many changes, so many names, so many houses, that she almost didn't know who she was anymore. Her hand drifted to a spot just above her right breast, her fingertips barely grazing the surface of her skin. Under the light beige foundation that practically covered her body, she could still see a four-inch scar etched on her skin, the only blemish on her otherwise flawless body. It was the only wound that had refused to heal fully since the incident, and now she was left with a reminder of it for the rest of her life.

Suddenly, a series of sharp rapping sounds echoed throughout the apartment. The woman froze, listening for any telltale signs that the source of the sound was hostile.

"Abilene? Abilene, are you home?"

The woman exhaled, snatching a towel from the rack on the wall and wrapping it around her body. She still wasn't used to being called Abilene. _It's just another name,_ she told herself. _It's just another name._

She walked to the door of her apartment and hissed through the door, "_What,_ Dolores?"

"So you are home."

"What the hell are you doing? It's midnight!"

"Could you open the door?"

"I'm wrapped in a towel, Dolores. This is the best that you'll get. What do you want?"

"You paid far too much of your rent."

The woman - Abilene, though that wasn't her real name - let her head fall heavily against the wooden door of her apartment. Her building manager was a piece of work, she was. "That's kind of the point. I paid for the next two months along with this one. Didn't you read the note I put in the envelope?"

"Ah...no..." There was a slight shuffling sound from the other side of the door. "I was focused on trying to reach you. It's kind of hard when you disabled the phone in your apartment-"

"Because I despise land lines."

"-and won't give me your cell number-"

"I'm a private person."

"-and never actually come out where any other tenants can see you-"

"I. Am. A. Private. Person." The woman enunciated her words carefully. "Now, if you don't mind, I am tired and sweaty. I am going to take a shower, and then I am going to go to bed. Go back down to your fancy-schmancy building manager's apartment and leave me alone."

Not bothering to listen to Dolores' response if there even was one, the tenant stalked away from the door and back into the bathroom, all but slamming the door behind her. No point in being quiet now; from all the knocking and speaking through the door, half the top floor probably knew she was home now. At least they had figured out to leave her alone, while Dolores still hadn't reached that point.

The towel fell to the smooth tiled floor alongside her other clothes, and she stepped into the shower. With a couple of squeaky twists of the faucet handle, a dribble of water began to drip out of the shower head. The woman, used to this by now, waited for a moment, leaning against the far wall of the shower. After a moment, the water flow sputtered and expanded into a steady flow of clear water, only a few degrees below what she considered 'warm'. She stepped into the water and simply stood there for a few moments, doing what people do best in the shower - thinking.

_Abilene. What kind of old lady's name is that? It's almost as bad as Dolores! Of all the names I had to choose from, I had to pick Abilene. I'm only twenty-eight, for God's sake!_

Abilene Brown. Alex Mitchell. Lindsey O'Connor. Debby-Ann Roberts. A whole mess of other aliases that she couldn't possibly be bothered to remember right then. She wasn't sure which person was most like her. Sure, they had all _been_ her at some point or another, but none of them came close to what she was really about. None of them fully reflected her old life.

She plucked a little bottle from the shower shelf and twisted the cap off, letting some of the thin white liquid inside dribble onto her palm enforce reaching up and massaging it into her hair. This was a special solvent, one that she had formulated herself. It could eat through any sort of hair dye and leave the original color intact. She was tired of being a brunette. She was tired of being Abilene Brown. She could dye her hair a different color: red, maybe, or perhaps a darker brown. She wasn't hurting for hair dye by any means; she always had some just in case she needed to change identities to avoid detection.

The water that dripped from her body began to change colors, streams of brown flowing down the drain instead of clear liquid. The foundation that was rampant on her body began to wash off, swirls of tan mixing in with the dye. The woman blinked some water out of her eyes and looked down at the shower floor, internally groaning. _I'm gonna have to power wash this thing to get it clean_.

She picked up a shampoo bottle and squeezed a considerable amount in her hand, rubbing it into her scalp to speed along the purging of the dye. Plus, she reasoned, her hair didn't exactly smell amazing as of then, and the strong odor of the solvent wasn't helping in the slightest. It was an effective concoction, but any attempts to improve the smell always resulted in loss of capability.

After almost fifteen minutes standing under the shower head, the water finally started to run clear. Pleased (and slightly relieved that she wouldn't have to turn into a raisin standing in the shower anymore), she turned the faucet off with a deft twist of her wrist and pushed the curtain aside. Water slid down her lithe and curvy figure, dripping on the tile floor as she stepped out and reached down for her towel. She paused in front of the mirror again before she wrapped it around her body, studying herself. The scar on her chest was even more pronounced now that it was no longer concealed by makeup. With a small shudder, she lifted the cloth over the mark. Now, with the scar no longer visible and her skin and hair back to their original shades, she looked more like herself - or as much of herself as she had left.

The woman ran a hand through her hair and held a few strands up so the light glinted off the beads of water there. _Black_, she thought with mild satisfaction. _Brown is overrated anyways. I missed having black hair._

She glanced at the little hair dryer sitting on the counter and looked away just as quickly, a brief wave of grief sweeping through her body. Ever since the accident, little things like hair dryers and stuffed animals seemed to set her off. It was just association, but there were painful memories with those associations.

Memories of her Princess.

Shego wrapped the fluffy towel fully around her body and stepped out of the bathroom. A gust of cold air hit her and she shivered, goosebumps rising on her exposed arms and legs. She wrapped the towel tighter around herself, realizing partway through the action that it would do nothing for her limbs, and scurried down the hall into her bedroom. At least it was warmer in there from being closed up all day.

Warmth. She had never thought she would be without it. For most of her life since the comet hit, heat had been a part of her. She was never truly cold, never wanting for warmth. But, four years before, when the bomb hit her villa in the woods, she felt colder than she ever had before in her life. She knew that she was supposed to feel heat, the searing heat of the fiery explosion, but she didn't. She was so cold, so weak, that she had barely managed to slip away before she was discovered. She had barely managed to survive.

The woman shuddered in disgust, letting the towel fall to the ground as she walked over to her closet. She would never forgive herself for what she had done that day. She had struggled up, gasping for breath and clutching the most severe of her many wounds, and she had run away. She hadn't even looked for Kim, the girl who had tried to save her life. Sure, the idea had crossed her mind, but she didn't look. She just left Kim there to die. She had figured that Kim would find a way out of it - because after all, she was the Girl Who Could Do Anything.

But when she heard that Kim had died in the explosion...well, she wished that she had been the one to die instead.

Every day now she berated herself, wishing that she could turn back the clock. She didn't question her soft spot for Kim; she had long known about it, but had only recently come to terms with it. Her only wish was that she hadn't been so selfish that day, because that day was the one that had really mattered. Now Kim was dead, and she blamed herself.

She took a black camisole and matching pair of shorts from a shelf in her closet. As she started to slip them on, she caught sight of herself in her closet door mirror - more specifically, on her scar, the sole wound from the explosion that was still visible. It was the only injury that hadn't healed fully, and she had no idea why. Everything else healed - all of her burns, cuts, and bruises - except for that one gash on her chest, that one ugly scar. She was sick and tired of looking at it every day.

Shego shook her head to rid her mind of these thoughts and quickly donned the pajamas she held in her now tight grip. She needed to see a hypnotist or something, because at this rate she knew she would be insane before her next birthday. Droplets of water still falling from her still-wet hair, she trudged over to her bed and flopped down onto it ungracefully. The springs in her mattress squeaked in protest, but she ignored them. She needed a new mattress - she was well aware of that - but if she went out and bought one she ran the risk of being recognized. She could always steal one, but they were too bulky to manage.

_God,_ she thought despondently, _look at me. The old me would have been worrying about my image. Now I could care less._

It was true; Shego had changed since she had heard about Kim's death. Maybe if she had believed the young hero's story, they both could have gotten away unscathed. Either way, though, Shego knew that it would result in a situation similar to her current one. Whether she had believed Kim or not, her death warrant would still stand.

Shego shifted her position on the bed so her head was half-resting on the pillow even though her body was asymmetrical with the sides of the mattress. Her hair was spread out around her head like a soaking wet black mat, but she didn't care. She just wasn't feeling the motivation to go and dry her hair. She knew she would regret it in the morning, but right now all she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep and have the rest of the world simply melt away.

Then, suddenly, she heard a series of four quick beeps echo throughout the quiet bedroom.

Shego sat bolt upright in bed, eyes rapidly darting around the room in search of the origin of the sound.

Her first thought: _Bomb!_

Her second thought: _I'm a paranoid idiot._

In the corner farthest from the door, on a dingy little writing desk, sat her laptop. It was whirring gently, the light of the screen dimly illuminating the surrounding area. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion; she was sure the laptop had been hibernating when she entered the room. The screen definitely had been dark then.

"C'est bizarre..." she muttered, swinging her legs over the edge of her mattress and standing up to approach the desk.

The little machine beeped again, like it was angry with her.

"Férme ta bouche," Shego snapped, not really registering that she had just ordered a laptop to shut its mouth. Either she had just gotten an email, or there was a tiny bomb implanted somewhere in the wiring. The latter was considerably more likely. Even so, when she swiped her finger across the track pad and the screen brightened further, she was surprised with a little notification box.

_You've got mail._

Raising a slender eyebrow, Shego sat down in front of the desk and opened her email. Something was up. Ever since the explosion, she had taken huge steps to cover her electronic tracks. No one had her email address - no one. She had never used this one before, so to have received an email...but sure enough, there it was, sitting in her inbox. It was titled merely, "**Shego**".

Hesitantly, she clicked it.

_Shego,_

_First of all, don't bother trying to trace this IP address. I have it blocked, and I have some of the best technical geniuses in the world constantly working on my security._

Shego leaned forward slightly in her chair. Whoever had sent this, they knew her. They knew that the first thing she would try to do would be to trace the IP.

_Yes, I know who you are. I've known who you are for a very long time. You may know me, or you may not. The only thing that matters is that I know you, and I know what you can do._

_I need something. Something that I can't easily obtain by myself. That's why I need you. I've heard many stories about your prowess as a thief and fighter, and I know you're able. It's not a question of ability. It's also not a question of whether you'll do it or not, because you will._

Shego's other eyebrow shot up alongside the first. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

_Face it, Shego. You're bored. You're tired of constantly having to hide, to dodge the law. You want to do what I do - to just get out and do what you want to do. I know what happened four years ago, and I'm fully aware that Global Justice wants you dead. But they want me dead too. That doesn't stop me, and it shouldn't stop you._

_You haven't heard of me, so don't go digging through your memories. GJ has kept my activities under wraps, but I think you would have recognized them if you heard them. Haven't you noticed anything odd in the criminal world lately? Like a few long-missing villains? Maybe a decrease in GJ agents pursuing them?_

The emerald woman pursed her lips. Yes, she had noticed things like that. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of Duff Killigan in two years, and she hadn't heard anything regarding Jack Hench in nearly three. On top of that, she had heard stories of Global Justice agents suddenly turning up grievously injured or dead all over the world. She hadn't thought much of the events before - after all, things like that happened all the time - but now it seemed that there was a connection.

_Get me what I want, and you'll get what you want - action. It's all you've ever needed to thrive. This life, if you can even call it that, is slowly driving you insane. But you know this, don't you? You already know that you're going to do what I ask of you._

_When you come to terms with this fact, send a return email. I will contact you again with details about what I need and where it is._

_You've wasted four years, Shego. Don't waste any more time._

Shego massaged her temples for a moment or two. There were so many things odd about the email that she wasn't sure if it was a trap or not. She didn't even know who it was from.

After a minute, she clicked the reply button and began typing.

_I need more information before I can decide. Who are you? How do you know me? What do you need, and why do you need it?_

She sent it quickly and without bothering to put her name at the end, hoping that whoever had sent it would still be on their email when it arrived. Sitting back and interlacing her fingers behind her head, she waited.

After only five minutes, a reply came.

_We all have our secrets, Shego. I know you have more than your fair share._

_As for what I need, you'll find that out when I receive a definite answer from you. That is my final word._

_The Green Wraith_

"The Green Wraith?" Shego muttered skeptically, but her fingers were already typing out another email. Just three simple words.

_I'll do it._

She paused with her finger over the ENTER key, biting her lower lip. _What am I getting myself into here?_

She pressed it, and her irrevocable reply was sent.

"Mon Dieu," she murmured, glancing up at the rough popcorn ceiling of the bedroom. "Mon Dieu."

She stayed there, reclined in her computer chair, for nearly twenty minutes. At some point, her eyes had drifted shut without her noticing. That was one of the things that she just never noticed. There were always pictures running through her head, images and memories from her past - so even when her eyes were closed, she was still seeing.

The most frequent memories she relived? Those of Kim.

* * *

_Kim ducked, pressing her lithe body close to the concrete floor of Drakken's latest lair as Shego's foot whizzed over her head._

_"Gotta be faster than that, Shego," she taunted._

_"I'm giving you _nothing_ right now, Princess!" Shego shot back, the smirk on her face evident simply from her tone of voice. "Don't go thinking that this is my best!"_

_"Would have never suggested it," Kim answered, her words hitching slightly as her fist was solidly stopped by the villainess's hand._

_Shego's smirk morphed into a full-on grin. "Good. But I'll suggest it to you. Step it up, Possible, or..."_

_Her hands ignited with their familiar dangerous glow..._

* * *

_"Shego..."_

_The emerald woman looked at Kim expressionlessly. She was trapped inside of herself, unable to act violently towards Kim or say anything remotely out of line. The funny thing was, she wasn't exactly sour about it._

_"Something's bothering you," the redhead continued, plopping down on her couch heavily and sighing. "Want to talk?"_

_Shego reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair back into her headband. "Am I getting in between you and Ron?"_

_Kim blinked. "Hmm?"_

_"It just seems like he's getting jealous of us. Like he thinks we're together or something."_

_Kim shook her head and smiled, patting the couch cushion next to her. Shego sat down obediently, looking at the younger girl for answers._

_"Ron..." Kim began slowly, "...he's a different type of guy. He gets jealous easily. He knows full well that we aren't together, and to be honest I don't think he would ever believe it if by some divine act it were to happen. He's not with me, either. We're just really good friends now. But you listen to me, Shego. As long as your brain waves are good, you're welcome to stay with my family and I."_

_Shego smiled gratefully, the expression for once wholehearted. It almost felt...nice, not having to suppress any evil urges. It was the only thing she could thank the Reverse Polarizer for._

* * *

_Shego watched this with awe. "Didn't happen to get that mouth of yours from spending time around me, did you?"_

_Kim shook her head. "Be serious, Shego. I am not lying. I really don't want to see you dead. You need to get out of here now. Just go and hide where nobody can find you."_

_Shego pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Why do you care so much?"_

_Kim's blush returned. "I told you, I just can't assist in a murder. Please, Shego...please believe me."_

_Shego thought for a moment. "Let's say for a moment that I do believe you."_

_"Yeah, that's the right track..." Kim prompted, gesturing toward the door emphatically._

_"What would GJ do now that their secret mission is compromised?"_

_Kim cast her gaze down at the crushed earpiece next to her foot. "I don't know. I don't really feel like I know what goes on in GJ anymore."_

_"Because they didn't tell you about this alleged plot," Shego elaborated._

_"It's not alleged! I swear this is serious! Shego, your life is on the line right now!"_

_Shego folded her arms over her chest. "Pumpkin, you've been my arch foe for four years now. Give me one reason why I should trust you on this."_

_Kim opened her mouth and closed it several times without saying anything. The truth was, she didn't have a good reason. She was sure that, somewhere deep in her mind, there was a perfectly plausible explanation, but right now she was drawing a blank._

_"I'm waiting," Shego said impatiently. "If you're not gonna say anything, then get out."_

_Kim shook her head slowly. "I can't...I mean, I don't have a good reason right now. Yeah, we've been mortal enemies for years, but that doesn't mean I want you to die."_

_"You sure you know the definition of 'mortal enemies', Princess?" Shego inquired._

_"Please, Shego. I'll prove it later, if you believe me and we get out of here. I don't know how I'll prove it, but I will, I promise."_

_At that moment, both women heard a faint sound from outside. They both looked up, though they knew that it wouldn't do any good given that all they were staring at was the ceiling. The noise grew steadily louder until it was almost deafening._

_"GJ plane," Kim said nervously. "They must be coming to get you themselves."_

_Then they heard a faint whistling noise as the jet passed overhead, increasing in volume with each passing second..._

* * *

Shego's laptop beeped indignantly, jerking Shego out of her reverie. In a way, she was glad for it. Memories of Kim were just too painful. Blinking rapidly, she leaned forward again and checked her latest email.

_I knew you'd see sense, Shego. It's all in your profile. You're a lot like me, really._

_Before I tell you more, though, I have a few little errands I need to run. You will be hearing from me shortly, though. That I promise._

_The Green Wraith_

"Errands?" Shego muttered under her breath. For some reason - and she would never willingly admit this to anyone - this strange character was sending tiny notes of anxiety through her body. Whoever this Green Wraith person was, she didn't trust them. She didn't even really want to get involved with them.

Because anyone who could strike fear into the mighty Shego's heart was no one to be trifled with.

* * *

Hope this chapter pleased! See that little link below these words? The link pertaining to reviewing? I am currently using the force to move your cursor towards that little review button...


	4. Scheduling

Yes, I'm alive. And ready to be yelled at. *picks up mob shield*

I can only partially blame my super long hiatus on the most hectic educational experience I've ever had the misfortune to go through. Most of it, I have to say, is the fault of my overactive mind. I have several original works as well as deviantArt activities that have distracted me from my previous FF commitments, and I'm sorry. I have no other real excuse. Which is ironic given how much I hate stories on hiatus.

But, yeah, I'm back on this story, and hopefully I can see it through to the end this time. I can't even blame writer's block or my muse; I have the entire plot all written out and everything. I'll try to get as much written as I can...before going away for a wifi-free, tech-free month in less than a week.

Yeah, Seriadne. Great timing.

But I love you guys even if you forgot about me (which is really understandable) and if you didn't - amongst the six thousand other Green Wraith stories - I love you even more. And if I try to put this thing on hiatus again, pleasepleasePLEASE spam my PM with random crap to get me back on track. I could do with the extra motivation. :)

I don't own Kim Possible in any way, and the plot skeleton (and muscle system as well, frankly) belongs to YogurthFrost.

* * *

_Errands. Screw errands. Errands don't take a week to get done, especially if you're hiding from the law and need to do everything quickly like this...this Green Wraith person says. Who the hell calls themselves the Green Wraith, anyway?_

"...all right? Ma'am, are you awake?"

Shego blinked and glanced up at the young man leaning over her. From her low vantage point, he looked about ten feet tall. "Hmm?"

"Ma'am, if you're only going to sleep then I'm going to have to ask you to leave. There are other customers waiting."

Shego sat up again, quickly angling her face away from the man, and replied, "Sorry. Gimme another five or so and I'll be done."

The attendant nodded skeptically and retreated out of Shego's peripheral vision. The woman turned back to the bright screen before her and focused solely on it, trying to block out the loud bustle of the Internet cafe she was in. For the past week she had been at her laptop constantly, anxiously awaiting that one email from the mysterious Green Wraith. Only recently had she realized the possibility of someone tracking her increased online activity, so she'd switched to this less traceable location, if only marginally.

The mere thought nearly made her scoff. Who would be looking for Shego these days? The villainess Shego didn't exist anymore, hadn't since the GJ bombing.

Seemed like even though her evil actions had vanished, her paranoia had not.

Motion on the computer screen caught her eye, and she shook off the post-sleep haze that still surrounded her mind. A new email had popped into her inbox, forcing all of her other emails down - mainly just spam and solicitation, but she didn't care about those a bit. No, she cared about this new email, its subject printed in bold type marking it as unread.

**Shego.**

"It only took a damn week," she muttered to herself sourly, clicking on the email and waiting as the action traveled across the slow Internet connection.

_Shego, it is a pleasure to contact you again. I trust you've been well over this past week?_

Two sentences in and she was already irritated enough to fry the monitor.

_My errands took a bit longer than I expected, as you have likely deduced. Otherwise, I would have emailed you sooner. After all, my proposition benefits both of us._

Her frustration with this obviously snarky character subsided somewhat. Whoever this Green Wraith person was, they knew how to get her attention.

"Proposition..." she murmured under her breath, reading on.

_I am quite sure that you are aware of the fact that Global Justice has remained active in the years since your little near-death experience. All too well aware, I should say, given the constant precautions you take. You are probably reading this email someplace other than your laptop, am I correct?_

This 'get into Shego's head' thing was seriously getting on her nerves. Gripping the computer mouse so tightly the plastic creaked, she scrolled down.

_But I am getting sidetracked. Were you previously aware that, in order to keep up with the constant demand for their forces, they keep a schedule for upcoming large-scale operations?_

Her eyebrows raised slightly. She was beginning to see where this person was headed.

_I've a strong desire for this schedule, Shego. No; I've a need for it. Before you ask, my reasons are not something to be questioned, nor are they something for you to pry into. I simply ask that you break into Global Justice headquarters and retrieve this schedule for me. It would likely be in Elizabeth Director's office somewhere, likely on a computer file. I would recommend bringing along a flash drive._

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she grumbled, but even she couldn't deny that she was intrigued. What use could this person have for a schedule? And of course, why?

_Trying to figure out my intentions is pointless, by the way, so I would recommend stopping. Besides, if you pay attention in the future, you'll figure them out for yourself._

Honestly, she was slightly weirded out by the fact that this mystery emailer seemed to know her better than she knew herself. At this point, she was questioning if the Green Wraith was her own mother, reincarnated from the grave, because no one alive understood her like that.

"So what's in it for me?" she muttered, scrolling down a bit more.

_But of course, you're Shego. You never do something unless there is something else in it for you. Given your attempts at going under the radar, I'm sure you'll find this offer quite attractive. How do the words 'unofficial pardon' sound to you?_

Even though they didn't make perfect sense to her, the words still made her breath hitch slightly.

_I mentioned in my first email that I have access to the world's best in computers and technological workings. As soon as I give the order, they can wipe your criminal past entirely. You have been pardoned before as a result of the Lorwardian invasion, I believe. Your previous crimes, though stamped with that pardon, still remain in the system, contributing to your bad reputation with the authorities. And of course, there's that little mishap with Drakken from about four years back._

Shego's teeth ground together. Of course the Wraith would know about that.

_But once again, I digress. My point is, I can make all of that disappear for good. So long as you don't commit any more notable crimes - other than what I'm asking of you, of course - the police will have nothing to charge you with should they find you. Sure, they might come after you if they find out you survived the bombing, wielding charges of bodily assault and battery on poor Drew Lipsky. But should they check their computer systems for a record or report of that event, they will find nothing, and be forced to let you go. A case without evidence is not much of a case at all, is it now?_

"Welcome to the American justice system," she remarked quietly, reading the paragraph over again. As much as she hated to admit it, this offer posed a vital opportunity for her to finally step out from the shadows. If she played her cards right, no one would recognize her, and even if they did they would be able to do nothing about it.

_However, without your cooperation, I can say with absolute certainty that those records will remain in place. I have no intention of blackmailing you with threats of falsified crimes and horrific records of actions that you never committed, because I honestly have no need for that. You recognize the value in what I am currently proposing, and quite truthfully you would be a fool to pass it up. One little break and enter, Shego. Stealthy, silent, and quick. After that, your entire criminal past - gone._

It was true; with her years of experience, a small B&E would be a cakewalk, even if said B&E was at possibly the most well guarded policing facility in the world.

_So do we have a deal, Shego? Keep in mind that, even though you agreed to my terms somewhat blindly in our last emails, you still have the power to back out. However, such actions would not benefit either of us. Just keep that in your thoughts._

_The Green Wraith_

Before she even clicked the 'reply' button, she was already thinking up a reply.

_I already said I would be your little errand girl. I'm not much one for repeating myself. Just tell me how to get you the schedule once I steal it._

She hit 'send' without further ado, then leaned back in her chair. Nothing more to do than twiddle her thumbs and pretend there wasn't a line of customers waiting for an available computer while she waited for a reply. Just a lot of waiting going on; everyone had to do their share, she figured bitterly.

This one came more quickly than the others had.

_Excellent. I knew I could count on you, Shego. As for the delivery, simply send it in an email. It's likely already on Dr. Director's computer, so you don't even have to type it up for me._

_I'll be waiting, Shego. Be quick, and get me that schedule._

_GW_

* * *

So yeah, this was a short one. I had half of it written for months and got sidetracked, and...you know the rest. I'm almost done with the next chapter and will hopefully have it up soon!

And like the rest of the FF world has been saying for years, please leave a review. It takes about a minute out of your time and makes me feel all happy and stuff like that. 3 They even revamped the review box at the bottom...just for you...


	5. Mountain Excursion

I'm back! This might have been one of the quickest chapters I've ever written, so if there's anything horribly wrong, please PM me. I also may or may not be able to get another one up before I leave the realm of Internet connectivity for about a hundred years, but I'll try my best!

I don't own KP in all its glory, .etc. Don't make YogurthFrost sue me, either, please.

* * *

In all honesty, infiltrating the GJ base in the middle of the night wasn't difficult in the slightest. Shego had been there as a prisoner - before she invariably escaped, of course - and had had ample time to get a feel for the place. Needless to say, returning brought up not-so-fond memories of her time with Dr. Drakken.

She pulled her hood tighter around her as she stared at the computer screen, angling her head slightly so the monitor's light didn't reflect off of her face and reveal her identity. She was almost positive that there were security cameras in Betty's office that she couldn't see, but she wasn't going to waste time looking for them. _Stealthy, silent, and quick, _the Green Wraith had said. She'd slathered tan foundation onto her skin, donned dark clothes that shielded her face, and worn gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. GJ could find out about her break-in by watching the security tapes for all she cared. All she wanted was to do it quickly, get out, and keep them from finding out that Shego was alive and well.

For the past ten minutes, she had been combing Betty's hard drive in search of the schedule that the Wraith was so convinced would be there. She'd found criminal records - obviously password protected - as well as agent rosters, but so far no OP schedule.

"Why the hell do you want this so badly?" she muttered as she rapidly clicked on one folder after another. "And why didn't you come get it yourself?"

She could practically see what the Wraith would have replied had she actually posed the questions. _My reasons are my own, Shego. Besides, this benefits both of us._

With a soft snort, she clicked on one of the final folders and immediately paused. Before her, plain as day, sat a document entitled 'OP-sch'.

"Gotcha, you little bastard," she growled, opening the file. "And it only took six thousand times longer than it should have."

She removed a new flash drive from her pocket and popped it into the computer, waiting for the device to register and then saving the file to it. The entire process took less than a minute, but once she had ejected the drive she paused before closing the file.

_I wonder..._

She was Shego, after all. If she hadn't peeked into the file, she would have questioned her own sanity.

With mild interest, she scanned through the list of upcoming operations, taking brief notes of the names she recognized - which was all of them, really.

_DNAmy...Fiske...Gemini..._

After about two minutes, she finally closed the file and shut down the computer. She couldn't help but be impressed at GJ's planning; it seemed like they had raids planned for the next month or so.

_But why? They weren't this active when I was in the business._

Just then, something that the Wraith had said came back to her.

_GJ has kept my activities under wraps, but I think you would have recognized them if you heard them. Haven't you noticed anything odd in the criminal world lately? Like a few long-missing villains? Maybe a decrease in GJ agents pursuing them?_

"Oh," she breathed in realization.

_Is that all this is? A dash to stop the Green Wraith? Or maybe beat him?_

In a weird, twisted way, it made sense. This Green Wraith person - according to himself, which wasn't the most reliable source, but Shego had next to nothing else to go on - had presumably killed several prominent members of the villainous community, removing them from the game entirely. This would nullify Global Justice's purpose of existence if it continued, not to mention their desire to imprison rather than kill their enemies.

_Until it came to me, _she thought bitterly, walking over to the window and slipping out onto the narrow ledge beyond it. With barely a sound, she closed the pane of glass behind her. _When it came to me, they were more than happy to kill. And...and take _her _life_ _by doing it._

Lightfooted as a cat, she leapt from the third-story window ledge, swung on the branch of a sturdy oak tree, and touched down on the lush grass on the ground. Thoughts of Kim, though never truly absent, flooded back into her mind, and any guilt she might have had about breaking into GJ was immediately swamped. Not that she actually felt guilty, though - quite the contrary.

_The hell do you plan to do with this, Wraith? _she mused as she darted through the shadows, leaving GJ headquarters behind her once again.

But frankly, she already had an idea forming in her mind, and she knew one thing for sure.

She wasn't giving this file to the Green Wraith without putting a copy on her own laptop first.

* * *

_Shego,_

_I must say that you acted more promptly than I expected. I am a bit surprised, but pleasantly so. I've not heard reports that your intrusion was discovered, to which I must give commendation. A job well done, as always._

_Thank you for retrieving the schedule. You were the only one I knew to be capable of the task with minimal externalities, and believe me, I have done my research as of late on the major criminals in the world today - that is, those that are still alive - and can be considered something of an expert on their abilities. Yours by far are the strongest._

_As promised, I will wipe your criminal record from the technological grid. Starting today, you can walk out in daylight as a free woman, though I would not recommend venturing out without some sort of precautionary disguise. That would be asking for an attempted arrest, something I am positive you would like to avoid._

_Farewell,_

_The Green Wraith_

Shego simply sat there for a moment, the seven-o-clock morning sunrise casting beams of orange light into her apartment which pooled on her chair. She couldn't believe it.

_Just like that...I'm cleared? Entirely?_

Shego was no longer a criminal. So far as the computer system knew, she was a completely innocent woman. No matter how many people knew her face, or what she had done in the past, she could not be convicted without the evidence that the Green Wraith had so kindly deleted.

_Is that it?_

Truthfully, she had expected some sort of catch, some additional favor that the Wraith would have her do before upholding his end of the bargain. It all seemed too easy.

_But...if this Wraith person has the capability to hack into the GJ database and delete my criminal record, what made him incapable of stealing that schedule? Why did he need me?_

The whole issue was beginning to give Shego a headache just from thinking about it so much. She leaned back in her chair, scrunching her eyes shut briefly.

_There's no reason why he wouldn't be able to hack into Betty's computer and download the schedule, I don't think. He could have easily done that without me. So really, the only person who benefitted here was...me._

She opened her eyes suddenly, leaned forward again, and clicked on the recently downloaded schedule on her laptop.

_Was he _trying _to help me under the façade of mutualism? He didn't want me to feel like I was being pitied, and so made it seem like the wipe was in return for a favor?_

She waited for her laptop to load the schedule, tapping her fingers on the track pad impatiently.

_No. I don't see any reason why he would want to pity me. But...I don't really see any other way it could make sense..._

"It doesn't make sense as it is," she muttered aloud.

The schedule finally loaded, proudly displaying the first name on the list. Apparently - and this was barely surprising given how jam-packed their schedule was for the next month - GJ had a raid scheduled for the next day in which they were to "apprehend the target before any lethal harm befalls her". She was almost sure that the 'lethal harm' referred to the Green Wraith.

_So you're planning something that involves GJ's upcoming missions, are you?_

He wanted to get to the criminals before GJ did; that much was clear in Shego's eyes.

_So all I have to do is get there before _you, _and maybe I can figure out what the hell is going on here. Why the hell you wanted my help. Who the hell you are._

She glanced at the first name on the list once again, and then looked over her shoulder at her open closet to see if she had any warm clothes.

"DNAmy, here I come," she murmured.

* * *

Shego had never much liked the cold. She burned and melted things almost daily under the command of Dr. Drakken, so heat was kind of her thing. True, the chill of freshly fallen snow gave her an opportunity to make a fashion statement with sleek winter coats - like the green one she and Kim had both taken a liking to before - but she still disliked cold overall.

Even so, there she was, holed up on the side of a snowy mountain - more specifically, lodged in an air vent that connected DNAmy's buried lab to the outside world and coincidentally provided her with a relatively clear view into the main room below.

Shego gritted her teeth together to keep them from chattering, internally cursing as she listened to the faint screams of joy and exhilaration coming from the nearby skiing lodge.

"How the hell can they freeze their asses off for fun?" she hissed under her breath.

She'd been sitting in the bend of the air vent for a good two hours, and so far nothing had happened. The occasional living Cuddlebuddy scooted, lumbered, or skittered across the floor in her view, accompanied at one point by the chubby DNAmy herself, but past that there was no notable activity.

"Who wants waffles?" came her voice, drifting into the air vent from below as she cooed to her creations. "We can't be the best villains ever unless we have full stomachs, can we?"

Shego pressed her gloved palm to her forehead and shook her head. "Evil beware," she muttered, half in dismay and half in disbelief at the extent of her stupidity. "She has waffles."

Honestly, how could any of these people succeed in anything without her help? It was like they were all clones of Dr. Drakken, albeit genderbent and dyed different colors.

Something apparently caught the attention of the Cuddlebuddies below, their hungry chirps and chatters being replaced by a moment of dead silence and then a low rumbling of anxious murmurs.

"Go."

What caught Shego most off guard was how DNAmy sounded as she gave the command. There was no cooing, no cutesy puns or affectionate pet names. For that second, she actually sounded cold. Like a truly evil criminal. But at the same time, there was an undertone of worry. This was not the DNAmy Shego had lost contact with four years ago. Briefly, she wondered just how much of the villainous community had changed as well.

The Cuddlebuddies slinked across the floor out of Shego's narrow field of vision, suddenly very quiet compared to before. She held her breath for a moment, listening to see if she could pick up on whatever had the animals, and DNAmy for that matter, so agitated.

She heard the strangely familiar whooshing sound a split second before she heard the feral screams of the Cuddlebuddies.

"No! My babies!" DNAmy screamed in anguish from below.

Still hidden in the shadows of the vent, Shego had to blink and shake her head rapidly to make sure her senses weren't getting scrambled. Last she checked, that sound only happened when she activated her plasma, and she had most definitely not done that just now.

So then...who...

"_Get him!" _DNAmy shrieked, her cry almost as feral and wild as those of her creations. "Kill him!"

Shego blinked again, though it didn't really help anything when her angle in the vent kept her from seeing anything other than a few square feet of the floor below. This was too early for GJ's raid, at least according to the schedule.

_So whoever this guy is...is he..._

A bolt of green plasma shot across Shego's view, presumably headed for DNAmy. It found its mark, judging from the sharp scream of pain that sounded a second alter.

_That is definitely mine. This is definitely weird. What the hell is going on?_

Another bolt of plasma flew across the room and elicited more pained cries from its target. A moment later, someone passed directly under Shego, but they were walking too quickly for her to get more than a brief glimpse. All she caught was a flash of green and what looked like a tattered black cape.

_The Green Wraith?_

"What do you want from me?" DNAmy demanded as the person presumably approached her, and once again Shego was caught off guard. The woman's voice sounded broken, her pain clearly distinguishable in her tone. Never in all her years as a criminal had she killed anyone, keeping that as a line she wouldn't ever cross, but DNAmy sounded like her attacker had brought her to that brink in only two hits.

The intruder didn't say a word, at least not so Shego could hear. Instead she heard that familiar _whoosh_ again, which prompted another scream from the scientist. "No! No, no, please, no! Just tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you!"

Another _whoosh. _Another scream. Then silence.

For reasons not too invisible to the imagination, that silence unnerved Shego more than the screams. Making a split second decision, she dropped down from the air vent and landed lightly on the lab floor below.

Her first impression was of destruction.

To one side of the lab lay the scattered parts of what used to be DNAmy's creations, clumps of matted fur and feathers lying amongst the chunks of burnt flesh and pools of blood that made even Shego, the badass crime-hardened woman, want to gag. She was by no means a member of the SPCA, but she loved animals just as much as the next person - even unnatural ones, though she couldn't quite call that love. The carnage before her...well, she couldn't even tell that they were hybrid corpses anymore. It just looked like a safari had exploded in the lab.

Almost dreading what she would see, she turned away from the mangled animal corpses to see what had become of DNAmy, though she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

She didn't want to know.

She'd never seen a villain dead - not one she'd killed at least, and certainly not one she had been acquainted with in the past. Far too much death had pervaded her life for her to want to kill. First her parents in the comet explosion...and then Kimmie...

So naturally, seeing a burnt corpse on the ground at the invader's feet that she knew to be DNAmy's was disorienting, strange, and somewhat revolting.

Shego had never been particularly close to the woman; after all, she had quite enough mad science in her life under Drakken. They simply knew each other through the blue doctor. She couldn't say she felt any real sadness at her death, but she certainly wasn't happy either.

And standing above her body...well, Shego wasn't quite sure how to react to the person standing above her. She'd gotten the black cloak right; the assailant wore a ragged ebon piece of cloth, almost a cape, that fell down to the backs of his knees. She could see dark green material covering his calves, leading to the assumption that the rest of his attire was green as well. His back was to her, but she could see around his head bits of what she assumed to be some sort of white mask.

Then he turned his head, just his head, to face her, and she blinked in surprise.

_What...is that...a skull?_

It certainly looked to be, from her angle - the skull of some animal, donned as a device for concealing the person's identity. She could tell it was fake, of course, what with the green-ringed horns protruding from the sides as well as the sharp-toothed maw and green mane that covered his true hair. However, despite its lack of genuineness, she would have been lying if she had said it didn't put her nerves on edge.

But that was mostly the eyes. The piercing, red eyes of the mask from behind which the invader was staring at her intently over his shoulder, never once turning around completely.

Silence reigned for a moment, the person's mask and unwavering posture just daring Shego to make a move, any more.

Finally, she ventured, "Who the hell are you?"

No reply. Not so much as a twitch.

"Why did you kill DNAmy?"

Nothing.

Shego's hands ignited automatically, a result of her suddenly growing frustration, and she was reminded all too painfully of something. "How can you shoot plasma like me?"

His head tilted down slightly to train his eyes on Shego's blazing hands, held rigid by her sides, but nothing more.

"Are you who I've been talking with?" she demanded, trying to provoke some sort of reaction. "Are you this Green Wraith person?"

It was almost as if he had been waiting for her to make that accusation. As soon as the word 'wraith' left her lips, he reached up. Something shot from beneath his wrist, and a second later a metal _clang _resonated throughout the lab as the something smashed clean through another air vent and embedded itself in the metal wall of the opening.

_A grappling gun,_ Shego realized a moment too late. _A goddamned mini grappler._

She rushed forward, but the Wraith - she was certain it was the Wraith, now - had already been pulled up to the vent's opening by the retraction of the grappling cord and had disappeared through the dark hole.

"Dammit," she cursed, leaping to catch hold of the rim of where the grate used to be and hoisting herself. After a minute of shimmying and climbing, she managed to scoot out into the blistering cold wind of the mountains, leaving the lab - the graveyard - behind her. She looked frantically around, searching for some sign, any sign, of him.

Nothing.

No footprints, no broken tree limbs, no flash of black or bright green that would reveal him.

It was as if the Green Wraith had just vanished.

* * *

Wow. He evaded Shego. No one has ever been able to do that. It's almost like magic.

Props to anyone who caught the Teen Titans reference, by the way. I had already written that part in. Then, while watching an episode of TT on Youtube, Raven said her famous line and I immediately remembered that I had written DNAmy mentioning waffles. So I had to go back and slip in Shego's line there.

Raven: *waving waffle and looking completely emotionless as usual* "Evil beware. We have waffles."

And also...

Cyborg: "Ooh! You know what'd be fun? Let's all go out for WAFFLES! Raaavenn, you like waffles, dontcha?"

Raven: "More than life itself."

So, yeah. If you caught that, you're awesome. You're all awesome, but Teen Titans lovers are more awesome.


End file.
